NFL Draft Day 2 options for Bears

NFL Draft Day 2 options for Bears

The only thing more stunning than Ryan Pace’s trade up to get Mitchell Trubisky in Thursday’s first round would be if he selected DeShone Kizer with what’s now his lone pick on Day 2 of the NFL Draft.

The Notre Dame quarterback is still on the board after Trubisky, Patrick Mahomes, and Deshaun Watson were the lone signal-callers chosen Thursday (in the opening 12 picks). But it left Pace’s team still looking to address needs at several defensive positions.

Among the potential help on the defensive line are Michigan State’s Malik McDowell, DeMarcus Walker of Florida State and Jordan Willis of Kansas State, the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year who played with Cody Whitehair and on the opposing South team at the Senior Bowl in January as John Fox’s staff handled the North.

There’s still good quality at safety as the second round will begin with four selections ahead of Pace: Washington heavy hitter Budda Baker, Senior Bowl and Scouting Combine sensation Obi Melifonwu of Connecticut, as well as Utah’s Marcus Williams.

If Pace is inclined to further add to his cornerback room, many projected or graded Washington’s Kevin King and Florida’s Quincy Wilson to be gone by now. Colorado’s Chidobe Awuzie has caught the eyes of several observers who watch a lot more Buffaloes football than I do.

At wide receiver, two players who performed well in Mobile for Fox’s squad were East Carolina’s Zay Jones and Eastern Washington’s Cooper Kupp, who can add to the return game after averaging 107 catches over four years in that FBS program. Two impressive Big Ten wideouts who bring different things to the table — Penn State’s Chris Godwin and Ohio State’s Curtis Samuel are available, as is USC’s JuJu Smith-Schuster.

The top three graded tight ends disappeared Thursday night. Now it’s to be determined whether South Alabama’s Gerald Everett, Bucky Hodges of Virginia Tech or Michigan’s Jake Butt are worthy of 36th overall.

Oh, and of the two offensive tackles chosen in the first round, one of them wasn’t Alabama’s Cam Robinson, nor Temple riser Dion Dawkins.

"Undersized free safety with the heart of a linebacker. Baker plays with a competitive desire that leaps off the field when you watch him thanks to elite football character and above-average explosiveness. While he is undersized, he makes up for it with his football instincts and plus play speed. Baker has the talent to become a play-making safety with Pro Bowl potential if he can sustain his health." - Lance Zierlein, NFL.com